U T O P I A [ just around the corner?] version I, II, III . .

'Today, in a world full of conflicts and shocks, art bears witness to the most precious part of what makes us human. Art is the ultimate ground for reflection, individual expression, freedom, and for fundamental questions. Art is the favourite realm for dreams and utopias, a catalyst for human connections that roots us both to nature and the cosmos, that elevates us to a spiritual dimension. Art is the last bastion, a garden to cultivate above and beyond trends and personal interests. It stands as an unequivocal alternative to individualism and indifference. It builds us up and edifies us. At a time of global disorder, art embraces life, even if doubt ensues inevitably. The role, the voice and the responsibility of the artist are more crucial than ever before within the framework of contemporary debates. It is in and through these individual initiatives that the world of tomorrow takes shape, which though surely uncertain, is often best intuited by artists than others'.

[Christine Macel, director Biennale Arte, Venice 2017].

The making of an 'Utopia Book': [version I 2016] an urban ritual, a gesture, a silent drift for walkers.

Above: the 'Utopia Book' [Version I] a travelling nomadic book: a first presentation by Annemie Mestdagh and a first walk in the city of Braga in Portugal, december 2016. Art work by Stefaan van Biesen. Transparent textile cover by Annemie Mestdagh.

Three performers move around the now invisible Ilissos river banks in Athens, starting at the St Foteini Ilissos Church with no other intention then to get lost, with a book, inspired by Thomas More's Utopia, but containing in this version only one word and in a format that challenges the very idea of a book.

It is a book that resembles a walk and a movement, it is not linear, it opens from different angles, it has pages folded in pages, you can open and browse through it in different directions, actually it is not a book to be read, it is a book to be shared spontaneously between the three silent performers, carried around and to be opened on places that come towards the walking performer, symbolically opening the places, inviting to read the place, the walker and the moment in which he stands.

Utopia [just around the corner?] A drift for three performes and silent walkers. With Geert Vermeire. The performance will be lead by three dancers: Anna Maria Makri, Teti Nikolopoulou and Olia Mourouzidou. Photography performance: James M Lane.

A group of walkers move in a flow along the now invisible Ilissos river banks in Athens, with no other intention then to get lost, with a book, inspired by Thomas More's, but containing only one word, Utopia, and in a format that challenges the very idea of a book. It is a book that resembles a walk, it is not linear, it opens from different angles, it has pages folded in pages, you can open and browse through it in different directions, actually it is not a book to be read, it is a book to be shared spontaneously between the different silent walkers, carried around and to be opened on places that come towards the walker, symbolically opening the places, inviting to read the place, the walker and the moment in which he stands.

The walks go along with a walking score with drawings and text, retracing the walks. A silent walking performance by Geert Vermeire, conceived on the "Utopia" book by Stefaan van Biesen, together forming an artistic walking duo since 2001 developing in a collaborative practice called the Milena principle. As a duo of walkers, they invite guest artists and the public to perform with them in a continuous series of walking performances in contemporary cities around the world.

Performed by Anna Maria Makri, Teti Nikolopoulou and Olia Mourouzidou.
The public is invited to join in the silent walk.

A silent walking and movement performance curated by Geert Vermeire, conceived on the "Utopia" book by Stefaan van Biesen, together forming an artistic walking duo since 2001 developing in a collaborative practice called the Milena principle.

As a duo of walkers, they invite guest artists and the public to perform with them in a continuous series of walking performances in contemporary cities around the world. (https://youtu.be/fEHXmCPh-a8)

A performance in the frame of I wish we were like water / Utopia - Library of Walks Exhibition at TAF - the art foundation /Analogio Festival and Multimation 2018 Ilissos.
Art work & concept: Stefaan van Biesen.
Video and photographs of the performance: James M Lang

Utopia Book [version III] a silent drift for three walkers or more. New York 01.11.2017.

This walk, some days ago in Manhattan, as a tender and slow gesture towards the city, suddenly moves into another perspective after the terrorist attack some hours ago in the same place that was walked. Sharing the images as a balm for a city where today pedestrians and bikers were savagely attacked.

With Freddie Dessau, Jose Ernesto Rivera Perez and John Gorgone, inhabitants of New York and students of the Studio Walking as a Practice at Parsons New York (lead by Lydia Matthews).

A parallel / simultaneous action with Utopia Walk Brussels, with students of the Walking as a Research Lab at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with Stefaan van Biesen, Annemie Mestdagh, Lydia Bollen and Alice Finichiu, as part of the Urban Emptiness Network.

A silent group walk, moving in a flow through New York City, departing from Gracie Mansion, with no other intention then to get lost, with a book, inspired by Thomas More's, but containing only one word, "Utopia".

It is a book that resembles a walk, it is not linear, it opens from different angles, it has pages folded in pages, you can open and browse it in different directions, not a book to be read, but a book to be shared spontaneously between the participating walkers, to be carried around in silence and to be opened on places that come towards them, as an inviting to open and read the place, the walkers and the moment in which they stand.

U T O P I A [just around the corner] [ 2 0 1 7 ] .

A silent walking performance by the Milena principle (Belgium) with Geert Vermeire (performance artist), conceived on the Utopia book by Stefaan van Biesen (visual artist), and together forming an artistic walking duo since 2001 developing in a collaborative practice. As a duo of walkers they invite guests artists and the public to perform with them in a continuous series of walking performances in contemporary cities around the world. Photographs: Freddie Dessau, Jose Ernesto Rivera Perez, Geert Vermeire, John Gorgone.

'Utopia (just around the corner). A silent group walk, moving in a flow through Nicosia, Brussels, NY City, with no other intention then to get lost, with a book, inspired by Thomas More's, but containing only one word, "Utopia".

[Slow walking / silent walking]

Utopia Book [version II] a mindset for students of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels 2017.

A walking performance with a group of people [the Milena principle] Brussels Belgium. An exciting start of the Walking Lab Brussels as part of the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, initiated by Vermeire Geert in collaboration with Lydia Bollen (ARBA - Architecture School University of Mons), Alice Finichiu (ARBA - Urban Design / ULB University of Brussels) and Enzo Pezzella (artistic director ISAC - Higher Institute of Arts and Choreography) together with the Urban Emptiness Network.

From October till end of December: seminars, walks, talks, workshops, simultaneous with other Walking Labs in New York and Athens (Parsons - Fine Arts and Odeon - Conservatoire Athens), a creation lab and joint exhibition with CSCA Lab / European University Nicosia and Dance House Nicosia, Cyprus, with Sophie Gee and Arianna Economou.

[Utopia and walking] : a book and a place, about the word Utopia as a gesture, how books open, walking as being together and transformation of a space, being the place, about flow, exchange, drift as a method of letting people and the environment come to you. About playing the city, about change of perspective, about inner knowledge, words and nature, words as giving attention and carrying around the word Utopia, as a gift.

A participation in the city of Nicosia by Marielys Lely Burgos [NY-Porto Rico]

The Utopia Book. Helene Black [NeMe Arts Center in Limassol Cyprus] reading a book of longing [Utopia version II] during the Urban Emptiness Network exhibition at NeMe. Following on walks and interventions in Limassol and Nicosia February 2017. Curated by Geert Vermeire. Book and walks by Annemie Mestdagh, Stefaan van Biesen and Geert Vermeire. Video and camera by Stefaan van Biesen/the Milena principle.

Video talk between Stefaan van Biesen and Vermeire Geert about the work Utopia [Just Around The Corner?].
A drift for three walkers (or more), walks in Limassol-Nicosia and the related walking score, as part of the Urban Emptiness exhibition at NeMe, Limassol.

Installation in the Art Centre. Another version of an Utopia book with the registrations of a walk in Braga december 2016. A seminar at the University of Limassol about media, silence, walking/movement in urban space in relation to Urban Emptiness. Geert Vermeire moderating a conversation/presentation. A talk about your experiences within Urban Emptiness 2016 and possible future approaches.

Making a soundscape 'Hythlodaeus 2015': during the Milena principle 'Sea Born' project in Venice 2015, Geert Vermeire and Stefaan van Biesen made field recordings in Venice and later in Antwerp. They used this digital material to make a soundscape for the Utopia sound project of Cities and Memory. The theme was the map of Utopia made by Ambrosius Holbein in 1518. The Milena principle soundscape created by Stefaan van Biesen can be heard on section C6 of the map on the website of

On 22 May 2015, more than 50 sound artists and musicians from across the world will reimagine one of the greatest works of English literature, using sound. The Cities and Memory: Utopia project creates something new from the words of Thomas More and the collective imagination of artists around the world – an entirely new Utopia of sound. Using a woodcut map from the second edition of Utopia from 1518, sound artists each took a small section of More’s imagined country of Utopia, and created a new soundscape imagining how that place (and the society living in it) might sound.

A free album of highlights from the project, entitled Utopia, will be released via